Video/audio combo device

ABSTRACT

A video/audio combo device includes a picture-taking element for taking pictures and a sound-generating element to output sound. It has a housing shell located in a portable electronic data processing device with the picture taking element and the sound-generating element jointly housed in the housing shell. While the picture-taking element can take pictures, the housing shell has a remained space to serve as a resonant space to enable the sound-generating element to achieve an improved audio output effect.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a video/audio combo device adopted forusing on portable electronic data processing devices such as a personaldigital assistant (PDA), handheld computer, notebook computer, mobilephone and the like to provide picture taking and audio outputtingfunctions.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Personal electronic data processing devices such as a PDA, handheldcomputer, notebook computer, and mobile phone mainly aim to enable usersto process electronic messages anytime anywhere. In recent years, withfast developments of the wireless communication environments, theseportable electronic devices have gradually the concept of ‘mobileoffice’ realized.

The portable electronic data processing devices mainly focus on twoaspects: first, slim and light; second, powerful function in a smallsize. The slim and light aim to make carrying easy. The powerfulfunction aims to provide sufficient functions at users' disposablewithout limiting their work. At present, most portable electronic dataprocessing devices already meet the requirements ‘slim and light’, and‘powerful function’. However, with growing developments of multimediatechnologies, many portable electronic data processing devices also tryto provide multimedia applications, such as installing a soundgenerating element on the portable electronic data processing device, togenerate a corresponding sound while processing multimedia files. Orinstalling a picture taking element (such as CCD or CMOS) on theportable electronic data processing device to enable users to takepictures anywhere anytime and store the pictures in the portableelectronic data processing device.

Take the mobile phone for instance, the conventional simple buzz cannotmeet user's requirements anymore. These days, many mobile phoneproducers have developed application software that can broadcast musicalbuzz or songs. The sound generating element generally is a Mylar speakerbonding closely to one side of the case. As the case does not haveresonant space, the Mylar speaker cannot produce desirable audio qualityeven if it can broadcast musical buzz or songs.

Moreover, in the past most picture taking elements were fixedly locatedon the portable electronic data processing devices such as mobilephones, PDAs, or notebook computers. They were not convenient. Now Sonyhas introduced a PDA model PG-NX80V/G and a notebook computer modelPCG-TR2T that have a rotary video lens to enable users to rotate thevideo lens as desired to take pictures. However, the rotary video lenstakes a lot of space.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the aforesaid disadvantages occurred to the portable dataprocessing device, such as the Mylar speaker cannot generate musicalbuzz or songs with a desirable audio quality due to no resonant spacecaused by size limitation of the portable data processing device, andthe trend of making the rotary video lens a standard feature on theportable data processing device, the present invention takes intoaccount multimedia applications to provide a video/audio combo devicethat uses the rotary video lens to provide a resonant space for theMylar speaker.

The video/audio combo device according to the invention mainly includesa housing shell, a picture taking element and at least onesound-generating element. The housing shell is located on a portableelectronic data processing device that has a viewfinder window and asound exit port. The picture-taking element and the sound-generatingelement are jointly housed in the housing shell correspondingrespectively to the viewfinder window and sound exit port. Thepicture-taking element can be used to take pictures and record thepictures in the portable electronic data processing device. When theportable electronic data processing device processes multimedia files,it can generate a corresponding sound through the sound-generatingelement. As the housing shell has an interior space that functions as aresonant space for the sound-generating element, an improved audiooutput can be achieved.

In one aspect, the video/audio combo device according to the inventionhas a picture taking element and a sound-generating element housed inthe housing shell together, to utilize the space of the housing shellmore effectively. Meanwhile, the space in the portable electronic dataprocessing device that was originally occupied by a sound-generatingelement may be freed for other use. Hence designers and producers of theportable electronic data processing device can better use the space tomake the whole device even slimmer and lighter. And the resonant spacefor the sound-generating element can provide an optimal audio outputeffect for multimedia applications.

The foregoing, as well as additional objects, features and advantages ofthe invention will be more readily apparent from the following detaileddescription, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of the invention adopted for use on a PDA.

FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 are schematic views of a first embodiment of theinvention.

FIGS. 5A and 5B are schematic views of a second embodiment of theinvention.

FIGS. 6A, 6B and 6C are schematic views of a third embodiment of theinvention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The video/audio combo device according to the invention is adopted foruse on a portable electronic data processing device such as a PDA,handheld computer, notebook computer, mobile phone and the like that isa personal electronic data processing device easy to carry.

Refer to FIG. 1 for an example of the invention adopted for use on aportable electronic data processing device. The video/audio combo device10 according to the invention is installed on a portable electronic dataprocessing device 20 (a PDA is illustrated in the drawing). Thevideo/audio combo device 10 may be fixedly installed on the portableelectronic data processing device 20 and users can turn the portableelectronic data processing device 20 to take pictures. The video/audiocombo device 10 may also be installed on the portable electronic dataprocessing device 20 in a rotary manner to enable users to turn thevideo/audio combo device 10 to take pictures. The following embodimentsare based on the rotary video/audio combo device 10.

Refer to FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 for a first embodiment of the invention. Thevideo/audio combo device 10 includes a housing shell 11, a cap 12, apicture-taking element 13 and a sound-generating element 14.

The housing shell 11 is substantially a hollow cylindrical member whichhas one end closed and sealed and another end opened. The closed end isextended in the center to form an axle 111 to couple on a portableelectronic data processing device 20 (the coupling method is not shownin the drawings) to serve as the axis of one end of the housing shell11. The perimeter surface of the housing shell 11 has a viewfinderwindow 112 and an audio exit port 113. The cap 12 mates the shape of thehousing shell 11 and may be coupled on the opened end thereof. The cap12 has another end extending to form a cap axle 121, which is coupled onthe portable electronic data processing device 20 (the coupling methodis not shown in the drawings) to serve as the axis of another end of thehousing shell 11 so that the cap 12 is coupled on the housing shell 11.The axle 111 and the cap axle 121 are coupled on the portable electronicdata processing device 20 in a turning manner. The cap 12 further has awire outlet 122.

The picture-taking element 13 is a picture-taking device, which includesa lens 131 and a photosensitive element 132. The photosensitive element132 may be a charge-coupled device (CCD) or a complementary metal-oxidesemiconductor (CMOS) for recording light variation to generate imagesignals. The picture-taking element 13 is housed in the housing shell 11with the lens 131 corresponding to the viewfinder window 112. Thepicture-taking element 13 further has a connection line 133 connectingto the photosensitive element 132. The connection line 133 may be aflexible print circuit (FPC) or a cable, passing through the wire outlet122 of the cap 12, to connect to a circuit (not shown in the drawings)of the portable electronic data processing device 20, for signaltransmission.

The sound-generating element 14 is a Mylar speaker for receiving signalsto generate sound. It is housed in the housing shell 11 and correspondsto the audio exit port 113. It also has a connection line 141 connectingto the connection line 133 to electrically connect to the portableelectronic data processing device 20 to receive audio signals from theportable electronic data processing device 20 and generate sound.

Referring to FIG. 4, the housing shell 11 contains the picture-takingelement 13 and the sound-generating element 14. The interior space ofthe housing shell 11, after deducting the space occupied by thepicture-taking element 13, has a remained space which may serve as aresonant space of the sound generating element. Thus thesound-generating element 14 may achieve an optimal audio output effect.

Refer to FIGS. 5A and 5B for a second embodiment of the invention. Inthis embodiment, the audio exit port 113 is located on the closed end ofthe housing shell 11. It may be adopted on different types of theportable electronic data processing device 20.

Refer to FIGS. 6A, 6B and 6C for a third embodiment of the invention. Itis a double sound track video/audio combo device 10 a. The housing shell11 a is substantially a hollow cylindrical member, which has one endclosed and another end opened. The closed end has a wire outlet 114 a.The opened end is extended axially to form an extension 115 a, which hasa wire exit trough 116 a. The housing shell 11 a further has aviewfinder window 112 a. A picture-taking element 13 a is housed in thehousing shell 11 a corresponding to the viewfinder window 112 a. Thepicture taking element 13 a has a connection line 133 a, extendingthrough the extension 115 a and winding the extension 115 a for a numberof times to connect to a portable electronic data processing device 20,so that the connection line 133 a does not interrupt turning of thehousing shell 11 a. The opened end of the extension 115 a is coupledwith a spacer 15 a, which has a wire outlet 151 a. A first cap 12 a anda second cap 16 a are provided to mate the hollow shell 11 a. The firstcap 12 a and the second cap 16 a are hollow barrels that have one endclosed and other end opened. The opened ends of the first cap 12 a andthe second cap 16 a are coupled respectively on the extension 115 a andthe closed end of the housing shell 11 a. The closed ends of the firstcap 12 a and the second cap 16 a have respectively an axle 123 a and 161a, and an audio exit port 124 a and 162 a. The axles 123 a and 161 a arecoupled on the portable electronic data processing device 20 so that thehousing shell 11 a is turning on the portable electronic data processingdevice 20. There are a first sound-generating element 14 a and a secondsound generating element 17 a located respectively in the first cap 12 aand the second cap 16 a corresponding to the audio exit ports 124 a and162 a. The first sound-generating element 14 a and the second soundgenerating element 17 a have respectively a connection line 141 a and171 a, running through the wire outlets 151 a and 114 a to electricallyconnect to the connection line 133 a, to receive audio signals from theportable electronic data processing device 20.

Referring to FIG. 6C, in the third embodiment of the invention, thefirst sound-generating element 14 a and the second sound generatingelement 17 a are located respectively in the first cap 12 a and thesecond cap 16 a, and are located on the left side and the right side ofthe housing shell 11 a. The first cap 12 a and the second cap 16 a serveas the resonant chests of the first sound generating element 14 a andthe second sound generating element 17 a. Thereby, an optimal two soundtracks audio output effect may be achieved.

While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been set forth forthe purpose of disclosure, modifications of the disclosed embodiments ofthe invention as well as other embodiments thereof may occur to thoseskilled in the art. For instance, while the rotary housing shell hasbeen adopted in the disclosed embodiments, the stationary housing shellmay also be adopted. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended tocover all embodiments, which do not depart from the spirit and scope ofthe invention.

1. A video/audio combo device adopted for use on a portable electronicdata processing device, comprising: a housing shell located in theportable electronic data processing device; a picture-taking elementlocated in the housing shell connecting electrically to the portableelectronic data processing device; and at least one sound-generatingelement located in the housing shell with the picture taking elementconnecting electrically to the portable electronic data processingdevice, the housing shell being functioned as a resonant space for thesound generating element.
 2. The video/audio combo device of claim 1,wherein the portable electronic data processing device is selected fromthe group consisting of personal digital assistants, handheld computers,notebook computers and mobile phones.
 3. The video/audio combo device ofclaim 1, wherein the housing shell has a viewfinder window and at leastone audio exit port.
 4. The video/audio combo device of claim 3, whereinthe housing shell is fixedly located in the portable electronic dataprocessing device.
 5. The video/audio combo device of claim 3, whereinthe housing shell is located in the portable electronic data processingdevice in a turnable manner.
 6. The video/audio combo device of claim 5,wherein the housing shell is substantially a hollow cylindrical memberwhich has an open end and a closed end, the closed end having an axle,the open end being coupled with a cap which has a cap axle, the housingshell being located in the portable electronic data processing device ina turnable manner through the axle and the cap axle.
 7. The video/audiocombo device of claim 6, wherein the audio exit port is located on theperimeter surface of the housing shell.
 8. The video/audio combo deviceof claim 6, wherein the audio exit port is located on the closed end ofthe housing shell.
 9. The video/audio combo device of claim 1, whereinthe picture taking element includes a photosensitive element, a lens anda connection line.
 10. The video/audio combo device of claim 9, whereinthe photosensitive element is selected from the group consisting ofCharge Coupled Devices (CCD) and Complementary Metal-OxideSemiconductors (CMOS).
 11. The video/audio combo device of claim 1,wherein the sound-generating element is a Mylar speaker.
 12. Avideo/audio combo device adopted for use on a portable electronic dataprocessing device, comprising: a housing shell located in the portableelectronic data processing device having a viewfinder window and housinga picture-taking element which corresponds to the viewfinder window; afirst cap coupled on one side of the housing shell having a first audioexit port and a first sound-generating element corresponding to thefirst audio exit port, the first cap serving as a first resonant spacefor the first sound-generating element; and a second cap coupled onanother side of the housing shell opposite to the first cap having asecond audio exit port and a second sound-generating elementcorresponding to the second audio exit port, the second cap serving as asecond resonant space for the second sound-generating element.
 13. Thevideo/audio combo device of claim 12, wherein the portable electronicdata processing device is selected from the group consisting of personaldigital assistants, handheld computers, notebook computers and mobilephones.
 14. The video/audio combo device of claim 12, wherein thehousing shell is fixedly located in the portable electronic dataprocessing device.
 15. The video/audio combo device of claim 12, whereinthe housing shell is located in the portable electronic data processingdevice in a turnable manner.
 16. The video/audio combo device of claim15, wherein the first cap and the second cap have respectively an axlepivotally coupled on the portable electronic data processing device. 17.The video/audio combo device of claim 12, wherein the picture takingelement includes a photosensitive element, a lens and a connection line.18. The video/audio combo device of claim 17, wherein the photosensitiveelement is selected from the group consisting of Charge Coupled Devices(CCD) and Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductors (CMOS).
 19. Thevideo/audio combo device of claim 12, wherein the first sound generatingelement and the second sound generating element are Mylar speakers.